


Changing Connection

by gomncan



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, M/M, Slice of Life, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-21
Packaged: 2021-03-27 08:47:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30120204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gomncan/pseuds/gomncan
Summary: Law and Luffy were childhood friends until Law moved to North Blue, where his family became doctors. Now after many years and tragedies later, Law is back in East Blue, attending the best medical university known. He meets Luffy again and rekindles their friendship that may turn to more.
Relationships: Monkey D. Luffy/Trafalgar D. Water Law
Comments: 14
Kudos: 42





	1. Coffee

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Hello. My goal is to write each chapter about 500-1000 words that surrounds a certain theme which is the chapter's title. This story still takes place in the One Piece world with some modern conveniences, but what if Luffy and Law met differently?

Law grimaced. Why did he decide to do this?

He was sitting in a cozy cafe, the bench cushion soft against his back. 

Robin-ya sat across from him, smiling as she drank her brew. Her dark hair flowed long down her back, with a purple ribbon holding it back from her eyes. This was her place, not his. But she convinced him to come. She said she wanted him to meet someone.

“I think you’ll like him,” she had said.

Law wasn’t sure. He wasn't a people person. Robin-ya knew this.

He also wasn’t a coffee person. And yet here he was, drinking this stuff.

He put it down with a wince. Robin-ya laughed. “Only you will drink coffee without sugar," she said.

“I don’t like sugar,” Law said. She knew this too. 

“You only need to put a small amount to help with the bitterness.” Robin-ya took another sip of her coffee. She smiled.

Law grimaced again. “I think nothing will help with that.”

“It was worth seeing you make that face,” she said with a laugh.

“Is that your true reason for bringing me here?” He didn’t think she would go that far just to see him drink the horrible concoction.

“I do want you to meet Luffy. This was a bonus.”

‘Luffy.’ That was why he was here. The name was familiar but he pushed the thought down. It was just a coincidence--there could be many people with the name ‘Luffy.’

“Why this place?” Law asked.

“Because I like it here. And Luffy loves the hot chocolate.”

Law scratched at his neck. A chocolate lover? Chocolate was worse than coffee.

“Right,” He looked down at his coffee, the mug warm in his hand. The liquid was dark and he saw his reflection in the drink.

“Here,” she held out a hand. “Allow me to put some sugar in it for you. I promise it will taste better.” 

Law made a face but handed her the mug. “Like I said, I don’t think anything can help with it.”

She just chuckled as she put sugar in and stirred it. The doorbell rang as someone came in. Law heard a loud voice. 

“Hey, Ma’am, is this where my friend is? I'm looking for her?”

Law grimaced at the loud voice. He hoped this wasn’t ‘Luffy’ but since the person was looking for a friend, he highly doubted it. The voice was also familiar and it stirred a memory in Law--one from before Flevance. But he pushed the memory away before it manifested.

“Who is your friend?” The owner of the store said. 

Robin-ya’s smile brightened when she noticed the voice. She handed Law his mug and he took a sip. It still tasted bitter. Again, why did she bother?

“She is tall like this,” Law guessed the person was gesturing Robin-ya’s height but he couldn’t see from where he sat, “and she has black hair.”

“You mean Robin-san, Luffy? Who is also with the tall man with a fur hat?”

“Yes! Robin! I don’t know about the other guy, I’m supposed to meet him. Where are they?”

“I’ll show you. Do you want your usual?”

“Yeah, hot chocolate! Except...I don’t have any money.” The voice sounded remorseful.

“It’s on the house, Luffy. You know that.”

Law’s hand gripped the mug tighter. So this person was Robin-ya’s friend. 

“Yeah, but I feel bad not paying.”

On the house? And it sounded like it was done often. Law shot Robin-ya a look but she wasn’t watching him, her eyes toward the front. Law didn’t know what to think about someone who was given free items regularly from the cafe. Was he well-known to the owner?

The voices came closer and when Law saw this ‘Luffy’ a jolt stirred in him.

He was right. ‘Luffy’ was indeed the Luffy-ya he knew. Wearing a straw hat. Scar around his eye.

This was his childhood best friend.


	2. Picture

He was so happy--!

He could not believe it. 

On second thought, he could believe it.

It was Torao! He was taller but it was him!

Luffy had met Sabo again after years of not seeing him, and Torao was here now as well. 

“Torao--!” Torao’s eyes widened in surprise, mouth parting as if to say something, but Luffy barreled into him before he could say anything. Luffy’s heart pounded quickly beneath his chest. 

His rubber arms stretched to impossible lengths as he wrapped it around Torao’s chest and lifted him from the bench to give him a hug.

Torao ‘oof-ed’ as Luffy crushed him. He couldn’t help it. It was Torao! 

“I missed you _so_ much, Torao! It’s been so long--I knew I would see you again!” Luffy’s heart pounded as he squeezed his arms further; Torao’s leather jacket rubbed his skin. 

Torao’s eyes bugged. His fur hat had fallen to the floor from Luffy’s excitement.

“Haha, Luffy, I think you’re killing him. You should probably let him go.” Robin laughed beneath her hand.

“Huh?” Luffy looked at Torao and noticed his eyes squeezed shut, mouth pressed. “Oh, sorry!” He let go. He didn’t want to, but he didn’t want to hurt Torao. Luffy set him down and carefully unwrapped his arms.

Torao breathed heavily when Luffy let go, his chest rising. He glared at him in greeting. “Luffy-ya, you have to do that every time we meet?” 

Luffy grinned. Torao always said that.

“I like you, of course I want to hug you. It’s been so long too!” Luffy restrained himself from hugging Torao again. It was hard--he really had missed him. 

Warmth rose in Luffy’s chest as Torao's lips quirked. “Of course. Nothing can stop you.” 

“Indeed,” Robin said. She was smiling still. Torao sat back down on the bench. He didn’t touch his mug. 

“Robin, I didn’t know you knew Torao,” Luffy said, flopping down next to Torao on the bench, his shoulder brushing Torao’s arm. He looked at Torao’s mug in curiosity.

“I didn’t know you knew Trafalgar too, Luffy.” Robin tilted her head, long hair sliding down her shoulder. “I wanted you to meet him because he is a friend of mine, and you are my friend too. I thought you two would like each other, but I had no idea you knew each other. What a nice surprise.” 

“I played with him, Sabo, and Ace! We had so much fun. But he moved.” Luffy frowned at the memory. He hated that. He cried, even though Ace said not to cry. 

Torao frowned. “Yes, to North Blue. But I didn’t think you’d still be here Luffy-ya. What happened to sailing around the world, and being a pirate?”

“I’m still going to be a pirate. Just not now. I’m waiting for Sabo.”

“Sabo-ya is still here as well?” Torao questioned.

“Yeah,” Luffy said, “he wants to be a pirate like Ace.” He looked at the liquid in Torao’s mug. “What’s this?” He sniffed at it.

“Coffee,” Torao said with a grimace.

“That’s coffee?” Wasn’t it lighter in color? “I’ve never seen coffee like this.” He held the warm mug in his hand and sniffed it again. The coffee smelled burnt.

“It doesn’t have any milk in it. I don’t think you’ll like it,” Robin said. “You didn’t like the cappuccino.” Robin drank from her cup and seemed happy though. 

Luffy shrugged and took a cautious sip--the hot liquid tasted just as it smelled. Burnt.

Luffy choked, disgusted. “What the hell is that? Yuck!” He held the mug carefully in front of him, face scrunched.

Robin laughed. “I told you.”

“Why would anyone drink _that_?” Luffy pushed the mug back to Torao, who took it with a wince.

Robin continued drinking her brew. “It’s an acquired taste, Luffy.”

“A _what_ taste?” Luffy didn’t understand but Robin sometimes said complicated things. The bitter taste of coffee still lingered on his tongue and he reached for the water and drank the entire glass down--but it didn’t seem to get rid of the flavor.

Luffy stuck out his tongue and groaned. “ _Ew_ \--now it won’t go away.”

Torao pushed the mug away from him. “It is a strong drink, Luffy-ya.”

“You should have warned me before I drank it.” Luffy laid his head on the table with a sigh. He closed his mouth in hope that salvia would build up and help get rid of the taste of the disgusting coffee.

Torao glared at Luffy. “No one said for you to drink it. You just did it on your own.”

“But you should have grabbed it or something.” Luffy rubbed his tongue along the inside of his mouth, but the flavor still lingered on. 

“Nothing can stop you,” Torao said.

Luffy groaned.

Robin set her mug down and gazed at Luffy. “I did warn you Luffy.”

“Yes, Robin-ya warned you but you drank it anyway.” Torao reached over and put his hand on the straw hat covering Luffy’s head and gave it a squeeze--his lips lifted. “We can get more water.”

“Yeah, water is good.” Luffy’s tongue lolled out his mouth with a sigh, cheek on table.

The owner appeared with a mug in her hand and Luffy perked up, excited as the owner handed him the drink. Torao ordered more water but Luffy didn’t need it anymore as he said his thanks to the owner. She was awesome, giving him hot chocolate even when he didn’t have money.

Luffy drank it down in relief--the burnt flavor of coffee disappearing. He saw Torao watching him out of the corner of his eye with an intent gaze. Luffy wondered if he wanted some. He shouldn’t have gotten coffee if he wanted hot chocolate.

It was almost gone when Luffy asked, “You want some?”

Torao looked away. “No.”

“He doesn’t like anything sweet,” Robin had another cup of coffee and drank from it in small sips.

_Really?_

“Since when?” Luffy drowned the rest of the drink. It was so good. He loved chocolate. Not as much as meat, but it was close.

“Since forever,” Torao said.

Luffy frowned in confusion but the feeling didn’t have time to manifest when Robin said, “This is a nice homecoming. Let me take a picture to celebrate.”

Excitement swamped Luffy again and he jumped from his seat, “Ooh, can I take it!” He loved taking pictures. It was fun.

“I want you to be in the picture, Luffy.” Robin took out her phone.

Luffy deflated, but he did like the idea of having a picture of him and Torao. With that thought, he perked and slid closer to Torao and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. He grinned. “Yeah! Let’s take a picture Torao!” 

Torao scowled at Robin. “You know I don’t like my picture taken.”

“I want to keep this as a memory, Trafalgar. Just this once?” Robin held her phone up with a smile.

Luffy smashed his cheek against Torao’s and tightened his arm, his grin widening. Torao’s scowl deepened. 

Robin chuckled and took their picture.


End file.
